The Viera Wetlands rest about halfway between Palm Shores and Rockledge, just off North Wickham Road. This popular bird watching and wildlife photography destination has a wide dirt road encircling the collection of ponds and marshes. The road is sometimes open to cars, but most drivers respect the serene atmosphere of the preserve and traffic is light when it exists at all. Starting from the South Central Wastewater Plant, runners can complete an exterior loop of about 2.25 miles. Inside this loop, there are an additional 2 miles of gravel road and trail, so there are various options for loops and laps within the park. Note: operating hours vary by season – more info here.
Rusty Clark
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Essentials
- Exterior Loop is 2.25 miles (3.6 km), with ~2 miles of additional trails
- 12 feet
- South Central Wastewater Plant
- North Wickham Road
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Other Routes in Space Coast, FL
Our favorite option for running on Florida’s Space Coast? The beaches! The flat firm sand between Titusville and the Sebastian Inlet offer more than 40 miles of running.
About 70 miles east of Orlando, Cocoa Beach is one of the greats for beach running in North America. You can run for nearly 10 miles along this wide beach, and at mid to low tide, the surface is firm and fantastic for running.
A protected sidewalk enables running over this causeway to enjoy great views of the Indian River. It’s one of the few options for some hill work on the otherwise flat Space Coast. An out and back through the Crane Creek Promenade is 4.5 miles.
A waterfront route along the length of Merritt Island with some great waterfront views and lovely homes. It's 10 miles out and back between Oars and Paddles Park and the Pineda Causeway. Traffic calming measures have mitigated lack of shoulder/sidewalk.
Another good road running route from Cocoa Village to southern Rockledge, Rockledge Drive hugs the coast of the Indian River, exploring beautiful neighborhoods and Historic Cocoa Village.
A 1.25 mile asphalt loop and a mixed terrain 4 mile are the highlights of this 390 acre public preserve, located between Melbourne and Palm Shores.
Some of the best trail running in the Space Coast area begins at the Turkey Creek Sanctuary, and can be extended into Cameron Wildlife Preserve and Malabar Scrub Sanctuary. The paved Boundary Canal Trail is also noteworthy.
The beaches at Sebastian Inlet State Park great for running, with firm, flat sand. There are also several trail options that can be combined for a loop of about 6 miles.
Indian River Lagoon Preserve, located on a barrier island south of Melbourne, is billed as the most biologically diverse estuary in North America. One can do a loop of ~6 miles on trails around mangrove wetlands and salt marshes. Can add on with Maritime Hammock Sanctuary.
Great trail running in this 2,500 acre preserve located in Titusville. There are 7+ miles of interlinked trails. A loop around the main hiking trail is about 5 miles. Enjoy views of the marshy lakeside and the Spanish moss draped oaks of Moss Point.
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